Once Again, Raul Castro Takes "Active Measures"

The Castro regime knows all about "active measures." As a matter of fact, they excel at them.

Active measures are a form of political warfare -- used both domestically and externally -- originally created by the Soviet KGB and East German Stasi to propagate disinformation.

In Cuba's Ministry of the Interior (where Castro's intelligence agency resides, DGI) -- and whom some in the U.S. naively seek to do business with -- there's a whole section dedicated to "active measures" ("medidas selectivas") -- it's called Department MIX.

This week's letter by Fidel Castro slamming President Obama and a Granma article about tension in Cuba's Communist Party are classic "active measures."

First, anyone who thinks Fidel Castro actually wrote that letter (or did so alone) is delusional. It's a coordinated operation by Raul's son, Col. Alejandro Castro; Raul's son-in-law, General Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Callejas; and other chieftains to send a dual-track message:

To Cubans on the island, nothing is going to change and repression will escalate. To U.S. policymakers and the foreign media, keep giving Raul unilateral concessions because he's the "good guy" in the family.

As for the Granma article on "dissatisfaction" among Communist Party officials, it's what's referred to as white propaganda attributed to the Castro regime itself as the source. Again, a dual-track message:

To Cuban Communist Party officials, it's an exercise in loyalty, power and control by the Castro family. To U.S. policymakers and the foreign media, it feigns "reform" in Cuba's regime and cheers on the generous Obama doctrine, which is centered on engagement and business with the Castro family.